What to Look for in a Digital Camera

Are you thinking about buying a new digital camera? There are so many cameras and options available that it can get a little confusing as to what is worth the price and what is a waste of money. Here are some basics to help you choose the camera that is right for you.

Megapixels
Megapixels denote the size of the image the camera will capture by counting the number of pixels in the image. A 3.2 megapixel camera will produce images at 2048 x 1536 pixels which is a total count of 3,145,728 rounded up to 3.2 million pixels. A large image is nice but a high quality camera with 3.2mp can out-perform a poor quality camera with a higher megapixel count. Megapixels are not the be-all-end-all of digital cameras, as some salesmen may try to tell you.

ISO Feature
ISO represents the light sensitivity of the camera. In some cases a flash can flatten and wash out an image. A high ISO count will help in taking great pictures in low light situations. Some cameras have a lot of “image noise” in low light conditions and a camera with a larger sensor will keep that to a minimum at the higher ISO setting.

Vibration Reduction Feature
Vibration Reduction is now becoming a common feature–and a must have. In low light and fast moving situations it will help take a lot of the blur out of your photos.

Optical Zoom Feature
Optical zoom uses the lenses in the camera to get a closer look at your target. Don’t be fooled by digital zoom. Digital zoom only reduces the pixel count to make a target object look bigger. If you want to get good close up shots, look for optical zoom capabilities of x3 or higher.

SLR Cameras
A Single Lens Reflex camera costs a lot more than other types of digital cameras, and they’re big and awkward to lug around. But if you want to take professional quality photos, it’s the only way to go.

Video Cameras
The line between a digital camera and a video camera is starting to get blurrier. Many digital cameras can take video and sound at television size. The quality of the image isn’t as good as what you get from a digital camcorder but it is a nice feature to have on your digital camera.

RAW vs. JPG Image Formats
Digital cameras can output images in two formats. A JPG file format is a highly compressed image file that can do the job just fine for most people. A RAW file is an uncompressed format that gives you all kinds of control over the image and is especially appealing to Photoshop fanatics. It may take up a lot more file space but if you need to have that perfect image and you have the time and know-how, then look for a camera that outputs images in RAW format.

Other things to consider
The size and quality of the display screen on the camera is something else to look at. You also may want to consider battery life and the type of battery the camera uses. For example, some can use rechargeable batteries which could save you money in the long run. When you buy a digital camera, you’ll also have to buy a memory card, which is were the images are stored. If you’ve opted for RAW output or intend to take a lot of photos at one time, you’ll need to obtain a memory card with adequate capacity.

Ask around. Some brands will give you a better picture than others because of the quality of the images sensor. It’s generally a good bet to stick to the brands you recognize and have been around a while. Also make sure that the camera has a simple USB interface and that you don’t need special software to view or copy your images.

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